For the word
of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates
even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and
attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Our Approach to the Bible. We, at Into
Thy Word, are geared toward challenging you to learn how to better
understand and study the Bible! We seek
to teach people to use logical reasoning while being sensitive to the leading
of the Holy Spirit. In addition, with good inductive and deductive principles,
we can examine the particulars, facts, and essence of a text before we make any
conclusions. As we get to know more
about God's Word, we know God and His call, and we can lead a mature,
meaningful, fruitful, character driven life and church for Christ's glory. We will do our best due diligence to be honest
to the Text and only teach what the Bible, in proper context, accurately says
from actual word meanings and inductive analysis, especially with a reverence
to true Truth. To gain a better insight, we will also look at what did that
term(s) mean to a first century Jew and Roman.

What
we do not what to do is disrespect God and His Word by just seeking, "what I
want it to mean for me." We will not be
"pulling stuff" out of context or twisting facts for personal agendas. If we twist God's Word to suit ourselves, we
will draw wrong conclusions and, as Bible learners and teachers, we will
ourselves and others astray. What we want to do is appropriate and effectual
from the Text of God's most holy Word, and grow ourselves and the people that
God gives to disciple deeper to His heart and true Truth for His glory.

We
must also be careful when we think it is the Holy Spirit speaking to us--He
does--that what we hear is not self presumption. It amazes me how some pastors and Bible
teachers can go to a text and not "read it," but can be really good
at "reading into it." They then
claim it was the Holy Spirit! Instead of
reading what is there, in its context, what the words say in the original
languages and culture, we read in our theological ideas, frameworks, and
presumptions, and completely miss what God is actually saying to us!

This
is called Eisegesis or Isogesis which simply means "to lead in" or
"read into the Text of Scripture"; this serves only to place into the
text one's own presuppositions, ideas, and thoughts while ignoring what is
actually there in order to satisfy one's personal agendas and opinions. This is
what cultists and false teachers do. In practice, this is using our personal
interpretation of what we want and the agenda or meanings we get from our own
presupposition. We are called to find
what it means rather than what we want it to mean. Yes, the Bible means what it
means and says what it says, but we have to read it, not read into it! So, when we look at any text of Scripture, our
task is to seek the actual, intended meaning of the passage. We should read the Bible to please a
theological paradigm or personal agenda. If our theological idea is correct, then the
Bible will prove it; if not, it is time for a thought change.

Remember
faith and reason go together; logic and seeking the heart of God are friends.
The Holy Spirit never contradicts.

How to understand the Bible. The key to
understanding the Text of God's Word, is to read it. This is His Word. As we read, we need to surrender our pride and
not use our assumptions, be in prayer and do our best due diligence to exegete
(draw out) correctly to our best ability. We must also be teachable, be correctable,
never be sloppy or assume if you are a teacher of the Bible.

Inductive
Bible Study is the counter to bad or sloppy
reading and study. It is by far the best
method to honestly read and study the Bible. We use logic and sound reasoning by examining
the passage in its context, look to facts and the real meaning to the best of
our ability before making any conclusions. This helps us read the Bible for all its
worth, impact, value and significance and not miss important stuff or focus on
the wrong things.

We have three main areas in mind as
we read, "what does it say," "what does it mean" and "how does this apply." To
do this, we first really read it, seeking "what is it" by examining the ideas
and words of the text, looks things up and not assuming; this leads us to the
effectual meanings and better interpretations.
We are led to the right conclusions and powerful applications.

To
begin, select the verse, book, and passage you wish to study. New to this? We suggest starting with Genesis, Matthew or
John. Remember to be in a state of
prayer and humbleness before the Father!

Carefully
read and study the passages chosen. Always be aware of the context! Remember,
most Christians read into it, they do not necessarily read the Bible, and fewer
study it! Use a good translation like
the, ESV, NASB, CEV, NKJV or NIV versions. Do not be sidetracked and do not stop. If you
get stuck, try reading aloud for better concentration.

The Three, Basic, Essential, Inductive Bible
Study Questions:

1.
What
does this passage say?

2.
What
does this passage mean?

3.
How
does this apply to me?

The
primary purpose of this method is to teach you how to study His Word in a
logical, clear, and concise way.

More
Inductive Bible Study Questions:

4.
What
is God telling me?

5.
How
am I encouraged and strengthened?

6.
Is
there sin in my life for which confession and repentance is needed?

7.
How
can I be changed, so I can learn and grow?

8.
What
is in the way of these precepts affecting me? What is in the way of my
listening to God? What will I do about it?

9.
What
can I model and teach? What does God want me to share with someone?

10.
How
do I exhibit a life of fruit, character, love, faith, and maturity in my daily
life now?

11.
How
can I develop the willingness to be a more disciplined, character, fruit and
faith driven person who will realize I am called, empowered, and filled by
Christ?

12.
What
blocks His work in me from working and being exhibited in me?

13.
How
can I accept and commence His work, and discipline myself to carry it out?

14.
What
can I do to make His work in me function better, stronger, and faster, even in
times of uncertainty and stress?

What
is our LORD telling you? You can do it! Remember, there is no "best way;" it is
important only that we do it in the best way we can. For even more impact, write it out. We have handouts and charts on our Inductive
Bible Study page on website to help you.

You might view this as "interviewing
a passage" and also allowing God's Word to interview and intervene with us. Remember God's Holiness; enter into study with
reverence, respect and humility without injecting our preconceptions or
agendas. The goal for effective and impacting Bible study is to seek what God
is actually saying before we seek what a passage means. Then, we can get it; we can apply it to our lives
in a more effective and effectual manner. Our main application is to know Christ and His
Word better, to be convicted and impacted so we can have a life that glorifies
His.

Look
at it like a CSI (person who collects and examines evidence at crime scene),
examining the evidence, following the leads. Let God lead you without preconceived biases,
while Christ's hand is on our shoulder being directed by the Holy Spirit. As we read, look, ask questions, reason, and
research and extract the plain meaning of what God has for us. Many good people get it wrong because we
follow what we want with our hypothesis like a detective, with our hunch
chasing the wrong lead, and not following the evidence like a CSI; one may get
the wrong peoples convicted, the other will find the right perpetrator.

Always
have a profundity for the Reverence of God and His Word. Seek to interpret Scripture to Scripture! All we can really do is our best, get into His
Word, surrender ourselves to Christ and His Lordship, and be aware of the
dangers of pride. If you feel you do not
have reverence, then just read, and let it come to you when you are ready.

The bottom line of why we are to study the
Bible

We
study God's Word so that we may know God, His Way, and grow in our knowledge
and faith in Him so we can then be better used by Him. We are called to spiritual growth-that is,
the formation of the investment of faith Christ gives us that we give back to
Him in dividends. This is a deep conviction of our faith, a practiced
submission that shows our obedience, and a life of personal and relational
maturity. We can't do this when we bring
what we want into Scripture and not take out what God wants us to have! We have to listen to God; if not, we will not
learn and then we will not grow and then we will not have a life of
transformation. Instead, we will experience a storm-tossed sea of life, wayward
in every perspective because our eyes and ears are not upon our Lord (James 1:2-8;
Heb. 6:13-20).

The point of studying the Bible? God desires us to be His, to listen to Him,
and to trust and obey Him; He wants us to have a heart after Him. He has designed us to be with Him in personal
relationship, to seek Him and place Him first so that we might be more like Our
Lord. We can meet with Him, we can trust
in Him, we can expectantly be learners and doers of His Word and build an
effectual church and life (2 Cor. 3:18; 4:6; 1 John 3:2; Rev. 22:4)

Key Takeaway: When we read the Bible, we need to keep in
mind the Who and What that I am reading. Consider the truth that what you are reading is
from the very voice of God, I am purely and truly communing with God Himself. We must seek; we must open our hearts and
minds to hear what He has to say to us.

1.
Have
you ever read through the entire Bible? How long did it take you? How often?
Why is this important? What stops people from doing so?

2.
Can
you explain the difference between "read it," and "reading into
it?" Why is this important?

3.
How
do you feel that God desires you to be His? How can this help motivate you to
listen to Him, trust and obey Him; to have a heart after Him?

4.
How
do we disrespect God and His Word by seeking, "what I want it to mean for me?"
How does this lead us to draw wrong conclusions?

5.
What
do you think is the best approach to study the Bible? Why would a Christian not
want to learn how to better understand and study the Bible?

6.
The
key to understanding the Text of God's Word is...?

7.
What
is the difference between a CSI (person who collects and examines evidence at
crime scene, examining the evidence, following the leads) verses like a
detective with our hunch chasing the wrong lead? How does this relate to how we
study the Bible?

8.
How important is reverence, respect
and humility when you read the Bible? How does this help us remove our
preconceptions and agendas?

9.
How
do we best balance the logical reasoning with being sensitive to the leading of
the Holy Spirit when we study the Bible?

10.
Have
you ever considered that when we read the Bible we are hearing the very voice
of God? How does this motive you?

11.
How
can you be better when you look at Scripture, to seek the actual, intended
meaning of the passage?

12.
What
do you need to do to allow God to transform and renew you deeply? Who will this
help us all build a better church for His Glory?

(For
more Inductive questions and expansion of this tutorial, see Inductive Bible
Study Basics at Inductive Bible Study

Do you read from the Bible or read into the Bible? Do you know the difference?

What does Biblical interpretation mean to you? What should it mean and how should you delve into and teach the most Holy Precepts of our LORD? By your will or His?

We have a major problem in our churches; people, even pastors go to the Bible and just collect from it what they feel and want, forcing it so that they miss receiving what they need and what God has for all of us. Thus, people are not experiencing the true wonders and Truth and riches of God's principles...

Here is the Bible Reading Chart for using the Inductive Bible Study method. Here you can write down and record all of your observations, what your have learned, your questions and even make a commitment on what you will do with the information from God's most precious Word! Fell free to make copies of this for your personal use, more are available in our book, Into Thy Word!

Here is the Cheat Sheet for using the Inductive Bible Study method. Here are all of the inductive steps laid out for you to use to get the most out of your Bible studies! Keep a copy of this tucked in your Bible. Feel free to make copies of this for your personal use; more are available in our book, Into Thy Word!

Latest News

New: Year End Repot

A Bible reading checklist in "Excel" that keeps track of your progress with all kinds of cool graphs and tracking features along with stats on words, verses, encouraging facts, etc. This is also a fund-raising opportunity for us that we think could be a successful addition to your church or ministry spiritual arsenal.